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SW Transition Center announces grand opening

Center focuses on steering veterans back into society

By Elena Ruiz

elruiz@demingheadlight.com

@LenaHeadlight on Twitter

Posted:
11/06/2013 05:09:01 PM MST

Volunteers, from left, Manuel Robles, Leonard Taylor and Leeanna Rossi, help distribute food bags at the Southwestern New Mexico Transition Center for veterans. More than 1,000 pounds of food was provided by the Roadrunner Food Bank of Las Cruces for veterans. (Elena Ruiz — Headlight Photo)

Imagine serving a country you love, risking your life for the freedoms we all hold so dearly, and then returning home to find yourself without a home to call your own?

You may think these things happen only in other countries, but here in New Mexico, there are over 800 U.S. homeless veterans right now, with 34 of them women, according to Long March Home, a website dedicated to bringing awareness to these troubling statistics.

The Southwest New Mexico Transition Center in Deming is a new organization dedicated to assisting veterans locally. Officials for the organization invite the public to attend its grand opening at noon on Saturday at the Disabled American Veterans, Tony Viramontes Chapter 2, Hall located at 311 E. Maple St. The transition center is not affiliated with the Tony Viramontes Chapter 2 DAV. The organization is leasing the property located at the DAV Hall.

The Deming-Luna County Chamber of Commerce is planning a ribbon cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. at the facility.

The center is also pleased to announce New Mexico Department of Veterans' Services Secretary, Timothy Hale will attend the opening ceremony on Saturday.

"We don't want to turn anybody away from receiving any assistance we offer," said retired Air Force Master Sergeant Reggie Price, who is also president of the board for the center. "We want to work with individuals to transition them from being a burden on society, to being an asset."

The public is invited to tour its new facility on Saturday, located in the rear of the DAV Hall, and enjoy music, raffles and a barbecue plate.

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The new facility is a nonprofit organization currently funded through federal grants and local businesses donating funds. Those businesses include: Jack Key Ford and Aaron's of Deming.

The Southwest New Mexico Transition Center is not an overnight facility; it is to assist veterans with any necessary paperwork a person may need for receiving veteran benefits, clothing and food. Price indicated the center may eventually be available for overnight stays.

In the United States, there are currently 62,619 homeless veterans. Although the numbers from the last year have declined, according to the National Alliance to End Homeless, it is still am alarming problem.

The homeless population stems from veterans who fought in World War II to as recent as the Iraqi War and Afghanistan conflicts. Though there are no recent statistics for more recent war veterans, the veterans often return home with severe disabilities that are known to be correlated directly to homeless factors.

There are no current statistics for the number of homeless veterans in Deming and Luna County.

Residents wanting to donate items (clothing, personal hygiene supplies and non-perishable food items) to the transition center may bring their donations to the center and will receive a tax receipt for their tax deductible donation.